Rape and the Aftermath in African American Women's Fiction

This paper examines the ways in which sexual assault and its effects are portrayed by literary authors Toni Morrison and Gloria Naylor. The three works analyzed reflect the idea that in a justice system that systematically denies black women a chance at legislative justice, they believe that their only alternative is to take matters into their own hands. One of the ways that black female characters take some form of vengeance is through the usage of weapons in order to kill or attempt to kill a male figure that serves as a stand-in for their rapist. The women mentioned in this paper however, are unable to murder the exact individuals that raped them and instead lash out at people who are entirely uninvolved with their trauma. Both authors also contend with the prospect of their characters never receiving justice and the emotional consequences that this has on the black female psyche.